Nell perched high up on a stack of crates, invisible in the shadows beneath an awning. Below her, the long line of people waiting to pay their respects to the dead Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6, was finally petering out. People left in twos and threes, many with red-rimmed eyes, their arms around each other.

"Everyone loved him," Nell observed quietly to her ghost, Hadrian. "I only knew him a few months, and now he's gone. He was the only one around here who cracked any jokes."

"I don't know how the Vanguard will cope," Hadrian replied. "Commander Zavala has said that no Guardians will be spared to hunt his killers. There's too few Guardians left after the Red War. People are angry."

Nell slid down from her hiding place. "Let's go in. It's not so crowded, now."

With her ghost floating above her shoulder, Nell slipped down a long hallway to the room where Cayde's body lay in state beneath a white and gold Vanguard flag. For the viewing, it had been folded down so Cayde's face was visible. He was a blue Exo, and his robotic face was scored and scraped from every angle. His death had been a violent one. Beside him lay an empty ghost shell with no core, representing his dead ghost.

Nell gazed into his lifeless eyes. "I'm sorry, sir," she whispered. "For the few months you were my boss, you were a good one. You didn't deserve this."

Hadrian swept his body with a scan. "He's so damaged. And his spark is gone. I heard they killed his ghost, first."

"I heard that, too." A lump formed in Nell's throat. "I can't imagine losing you like that. It would shatter me."

She held out a hand. Hadrian landed in it, and she hugged him to her chest for a moment. "Poor Cayde. Poor Sundance."

Footsteps in the hall behind her. Hadrian vanished. Nell slipped to one side and stood behind the open door. She wasn't ready to leave, yet. Cayde seemed so alone, lying there without a ghost, and she couldn't bear to leave him.

Two warlocks entered, a man and a woman. They stood side by side, gazing at the fallen warrior. Nell waited for them to hurry up and leave. What did warlocks have to do with the Hunter Vanguard? Only Hunters should care, like Nell. Warlocks still had Ikora, for the Traveler's sake.

"Why did this have to happen?" the man murmured. He touched the flag. "He always hassled me, you know. Thought I should have been a Hunter."

"It's so unfair," the woman agreed. "I used to run patrols for him all the time. I think he had a joke for everyone in the Tower."

The man bowed his head. "Precious in the sight of the Traveler is the death of its Guardians."

The woman rubbed his back. "We'll get through this, Jayesh. Guardians do die."

Jayesh didn't answer. He stood there for a long time, head bowed. Nell thought he might be crying, but his back was to her and she couldn't tell.

The woman put her arm around him, and they stood together in silence, gazing at their fallen friend. Nell wished even more that they would leave.

Suddenly the man lifted his head and turned, looking straight at Nell. "You don't have to hide back there."

Nell started guiltily. The woman turned, too, surprised. "Where'd you come from?"

"I was here first," Nell snapped. "He was my Vanguard."

The man beckoned her forward. "It's all right. We all loved him. By the way, I'm Jayesh and this is Kari."

"I'm Nell," she replied, sulky because she wanted to be alone so she could cry in peace. She stepped up beside them and faced the body. "Do you think he went to heaven? I've asked people where Guardians go when they die, but nobody knows." The question was designed to make them uncomfortable so they'd leave. So far, it had worked on a lot of other Guardians.

Kari gave Jayesh a questioning look.

Jayesh drew a deep breath. "Well. Do you want the long answer or the short one?"

"Short one."

"Yes."

There was a short silence. Nell's curiosity stirred. "Yes? Just like that? Guardians go to heaven? But we're basically undead." This had bothered her since overhearing humans talking about it one day.

"Not really," Jayesh replied. "Your ghost resurrected you from your spark. Your soul. It only works as long as the spark persists. And Cayde, here ... his is departed. I can feel it. He's not here anymore."

"So, where'd he go?" Nell pressed.

"Well," Jayesh said, gazing at Cayde, "he'd go to the Traveler. First stop for Guardians and ghosts. It's basically in charge of us. From there, the Traveler ushers us to what it calls the realm of light. I'm not sure what it is, but it's where the Traveler came from. From what I've read, it's a place of rest. And healing." He laid his hand on the flag. "Cayde always did miss his son."

For some reason, this last remark hit Nell hard. Tears choked her and her face contorted.

Kari lifted an arm, offering a hug. Nell stepped into it and sobbed.

Then all three of them were crying, Nell noisily, Kari softly, Jayesh in silence. Never again would Cayde tease the young Guardians and tell them scary stories. Never again would he go out for spicy ramen, or go drinking with Banshee in the Tower canteen. Never again would he spin his hand cannon, the Ace of Spades, on one hand while talking about an absurd fight he had won.

"Why doesn't someone avenge him?" Nell burst out. "Criminals got him! They shot his ghost! We need to do something!"

"Shh," Kari whispered. "Some of us are doing something, Nell. But we can't talk about it."

"Not here," Jayesh agreed, wiping his face. "Although I think Cayde would approve. We shouldn't even tell Nell."

"I'm a Hunter," Nell snapped, her voice cracking. "He was my Vanguard. I may be new, but I know injustice when I see it."

Kari tugged Nell's arm. "Let's go out on the wall, where we won't be overheard."

The three left the viewing room as more Guardians were coming in. Nell realized that she looked like everyone else coming out - red-eyed and pale. So did her companions, who seemed nice enough ... for warlocks.

It was breezy out on the wall, making the robes of the warlocks flutter. The three Guardians picked a spot some distance from the Tower and out of earshot of the nearest guard tower.

Jayesh and Kari summoned their ghosts, both of whom wore expensive shells. "You guys are in on this, too," Jayesh told them. "Might as well bring out yours, Nell."

Nell summoned Hadrian with a flicker of protective indignation. Hadrian had a phobia of being taken apart, and wore the most basic shell instead of accepting an upgrade. But Nell had decorated him with blue, red, and green paint in geometric patterns, giving him a modern art look.

"This is Hadrian," Nell said, silently daring them to make fun of him.

"Nice shell!" Kari exclaimed. "I have a friend who makes custom ghost shells. I've been after him for years to sell them, they're so pretty."

Nell relaxed a fraction.

Jayesh motioned to each ghost. "This is Phoenix, and this is Neko. Be polite, you two."

"I'm always polite," Phoenix protested.

The ghosts studied each other for a moment.

"What makes you think we're trustworthy?" Hadrian asked.

"This touches all of us," Neko replied. "A Guardian and his ghost were mercilessly slaughtered."

"Right," said Jayesh. "Our friend, Madrid, accompanied Cayde to the Reef in the asteroid belt. Problems with the Prison of Elders there. He was with Cayde as he died of his wounds. Brought back his body."

"I met Madrid," Nell said. "He was nice to me."

"Not so nice, now," Kari said grimly. "He's gone vigilante. He's out in the Reef right now, hunting for the ones who killed Cayde."

"But Zavala said not to!" Nell gasped.

Jayesh nodded. "He did. And not everyone agrees. So there's a group of Guardians claiming to go on patrol to Mars who are accidentally winding up in the Reef. Navigation error, they're calling it." He glanced at Kari. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Take me with you!" Nell implored. "I passed all my training with top scores. I've been running EDZ patrols. I can fight."

Jayesh and Kari exchanged another long look.

"Three's a fireteam," Kari said. "And if we find Madrid, four is better."

Jayesh sighed. "It's up to you, Nell. Cayde was your Vanguard and he was our friend. The thugs who killed him are beyond any foes you've faced so far. If we don't take them out, Cayde will only be the first in a long, long string of deaths."

Nell clenched her fists. "I want to fight. For Cayde. I want to hunt down the one who shot his ghost, and I want to see him writhe in pain as he dies." Heat flashed through her. The Golden Gun made of Light appeared in her hand, accidentally summoned in her wrath.

Jayesh and Kari watched her, unconcerned. "Better control that," Kari said. "The Reef is a rough place, and your Light will attract attention. Cool down."

Nell concentrated until the gun vanished and the heat inside her died to a steady warmth.

"It's settled, then," Jayesh said. He shook Nell's hand. "Welcome to Fireteam Vengeance."